I agree bert. He doesn't come across as someone I would like either. Just wanted to let everyone know that this happens to a lot of writers who makes their living writing/reviewing and it can be hard to say no.

I still love you bert, broken pencil and all...  

out of all the stuff he's written, I've only heard about (and seen) A History of Violence, and it was pretty nasty.  Awesome movie.  Great sex.

I thought the article was quite good...

I was sooo ready to hate on this guy after the first paragraph, but when he explains the faults in the script he read, I can understand... Nothing worked for him, and he had to tell his friend it sucked.

I catch some flack for being a foul mouth on this site... If i don't like your script you will know. Who am i to say??? I'm the fuckin audience! Doesn't mean i can write. But i can tell you wether or not I liked a movie... same as all of you.

I think with him being a pro and having to read and judge scripts much of his life, I could imagine where he's coming from. Everyone thinks their idea is gonna be the next great movie... Unfortunately, you've got to write it well to have a chance...

This guy's a prick... my kinda prick. Honest.

I understand the sentiments from Josh Olson completely. You know, there's a hierarchy in writing as in anything and people less skilled, work at lower levels.

You can't expect someone who's payed their dues and plate is full to drop their life for you just because you hand them your fucking script. Capish?

Do you know how many people come to them with cool ideas?! Frickamungous amounts. And it all gets very tired and you start to feel like a bad guy.

So Josh, he gives us the ugly truth right out and plain.

He writes:

So. I read the thing. And it hurt, man. It really hurt. I was dying to find something positive to say, and there was nothing. And the truth is, saying something positive about this thing would be the nastiest, meanest and most dishonest thing I could do. Because here's the thing: not only is it cruel to encourage the hopeless, but you cannot discourage a writer. If someone can talk you out of being a writer, you're not a writer.

And it's true with anything in life.

He had also written how long it had taken to read one measly little script. I sympathize.

A couple of years back I had read, actually started reading a script someone had sent me and it was completely wrong in format. Everything was wrong about it.

I wrote back and tried to be as nice as possible, but whoah! I was hit into hard. He was downright mean to me. I can't remember his name, but he's not around here anymore. Some people are just not ready to hear the ugly truth.

Writing isn't about a cool idea. It's a thoroughfare to the reality that you seek to understand and filter it through all of your senses. It's the love of life and connections. It's the struggle and the passion of the struggle.

Writing is your life if you're a writer. And you will die writing even if nothing ever comes of it. Because that's what you bloody well do....

Even if nobody ever reads your fucking script.  

Quoted from bert I read this a while ago and decided the guy was a complete prick. Just thinking that he felt compelled to compose something like that -- with that attitude -- then place his name on it and make it public -- If I ever become that self-important, I hope someone has the decency to kill me.

I guess that makes me whatever the female equivalent of prick might be. I come to his defense and completely understand where he's coming from.

I respect him and he's telling people straight up. There's nothing wrong about it. Though it seems that way. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. That's real love, I think.

Quoted from bert I know you are not arguing, Pia, just wanted to clarify -- I do not think the guy is a jerk for saying "no".  I do not think he needs to "give back". I think the guy is a jerk for writing a long, "look at precious, put-upon me" article about it -- as if his opinions were pearls beyond price -- and he has somehow earned to right to rub people's noses in the offal of their own writings. Sometimes just by reading something you can tell, "I would not like this guy at all."

But Bert, here, I want to argue. This is just your perception too, remember. As much as Josh seems to be pissing you off, try and look beyond that and recognize, that he's trying to make a very brash point.

Some very great people grew up in very harsh environments, my husband, being one and he is very strong because of it. Does it work for everyone? No, maybe not. But then maybe it's not supposed to work for everyone either.

Everyone is ready for certain challenges at different times. It's our own little personal ascending that we are responsible for. It's our job and no one else's. It's not Josh's job to make me or anyone else feel good by giving some "head patting".

He IS doing a favor to people by writing this article. He poured his heart into it.

All I can say is a banal sounding, thanks.

Sandra El.

You'll read it and you'd better fucking like it!!!!!!!

Quoted from Takeshi You'll read it and you'd better fucking like it!!!!!!!

????

Sandra El.

Quoted from Sandra Elstree. ???? Sandra El.

Ugh. I hate having to explain one liners. I was responding to the title of the thread.  

Yeah, I have to take Josh Olsen’s side on this one. I don’t think he’s trying to come off as better than anyone else. I sympathize with what he’s saying. I think he’s trying to make a point about people trying to take advantage of him.

Here’s a video with Kevin Smith being asked by an audience member at a Q&A to read his script. It starts at 7:50 on the first one and continues through the beginning of the next one. The guy said he spent a year and a half writing 40 pages. Seriously, if it takes a year and a half to write 40 pages, you are definitely not ready to be a professional writer and you should know it.

Quoted from Takeshi Ugh. I hate having to explain one liners. I was responding to the title of the thread.

????

Just kidding.

Here's Daffey Duck trying his hand at pitching a script:

Quoted Text

I could relate to this to an extent. I especially like the story about Picasso and the drawing on the napkin. Some of you followed my thread on writing a feature in a month, and truly, it didn't take a month to write it. It took a month to interpret the guy's idea into a feature length script, but it took probably fifteen years (and over 60 other scripts) to acquire the skills to be able to do it. That's why people with more experience at something in the business world get paid more. Writing is underrated as a skill and screenwriting even more so. Try telling your family you want to be  a doctor, and you'll get a series of impressed looks and some "good lucks." Tell the same people you want to be a screenwriter, and everyone will have an opinion, usually negative, and they'll all somehow "know" just how hard it is, even though none of them have ever tried it. Pardon me, but I believe it's also hard to be a doctor, or did I miss the education, internship, and expensive malpractice insurance side of things?

That being said, one of the actors on the movie I shot did, of course, tell me he'd written a script with a friend of his and asked if I'd read it. Me not being a prick, I said sure, and he emailed it to me. I gave him an honest and thorough review on what I thought of it, and how some of the weaker points could be improved upon (in my humble opinion). He thanked me and I've not heard any more of it.

What do you expect to hear from his GW?!

Keep you constantly updated on every rewrite he does?

No, I wouldn't expect that, of course. When he was telling me about it, he carried on for some time about it being easy to shoot and such. I didn't iterate after I read it that while it wasn't complex, trying to garner two business offices across the street from each other would be rather difficult for someone who doesn't have the cash to just rent the spaces. He never brought up whether they rewrote anything or if I thought I would want to shoot it at some point. Then again, I haven't hit the release of the movie we worked on yet either. If we wants to work with me again, I would imagine I'd hear about it between scenes the next time we do something.

I have a script that needs a read. Sadly though it's not about fucking. Do you think he'll give it a look?

Quoted from Sandra Elstree. But Bert, here, I want to argue. This is just your perception too, remember. As much as Josh seems to be pissing you off, try and look beyond that and recognize, that he's trying to make a very brash point.

I know you mean this in a friendly way, Sandra, but since I have been name-checked, I do want to respond.

I get his point.  I just do not think it requires a soapbox -- particularly such a "brash" one.

You know, every career you might choose is going to be fraught with frustrations and challenges and demands on your time.  I have no sympathy for his plight.

You can give people in your own circle of acquaintances or demanding strangers a polite "no thanks."  It is no big deal.

To me, this article smacks of arrogance, and frankly, I find it a little insulting.

But I have no argument with his defenders.  It is all perceptions.

I just think the guy needs to get over himself -- lose the attitude -- and show some gratitude.